A Birthday So Nice, We Celebrated Twice!

Did you know that 2+2+2 = 1? It's true! When you combine...

~ 2 family visits full of fun






~ 2 yummy birthday cakes






~ and 2 sets of presents to open





You end up with 1 unforgettable experience for a super lucky birthday boy!



Thanks to Pa-Pa, Aunt Mary, Great-Great Aunt Anne, Great-Great Aunt Wanda, Mima, and Poppa (and all other family and friends who were with us in spirit!) for making Ethan's first birthday so memorable!

Birthday Wishes

One year ago, Ethan James Notch was born.
365 days later, my heart has at least tripled in size.
8760 hours have passed since our lives have changed in beautifully complicated ways.
525,600 minutes of incredible memories have been captured both in mind and on film, thanks to my fabulous artist husband.
31,536,000 seconds have been spent thinking about, loving, protecting, relishing, playing with, smelling, feeding, bathing, diapering, snuggling, kissing, teaching, learning from, and being thankful for my beautiful baby boy.


I've been thinking a lot about birthday wishes lately. This is probably due to the hours spent agonizing over the logistics of a party for a one-year-old who could care less about unwrapping presents or blowing out birthday candles. To him, it's just another day, perhaps slightly more overwhelming, but normal nonetheless. To me, it's so much more.

Since Ethan doesn't understand birthday wishes yet, I figured I should make some for him.

I wish you a lifetime of happiness spent with those who love you.


I wish for you the tools to get you where you want to go.



I wish for you to always find joy in the little things.


I wish you a life full of excitement.


And, finally, just in case you get your Mama's sweet tooth, I wish for you to get your Daddy's metabolism!

Fun, Fun, Fun!

The Notch household has been buzzing with activity lately! We've had so many adventures, in fact, that we're making this post part one in a two-part family fun series.

Grandma and Grandpa Ventura arrived for a visit and got to meet their new grandson for the first time. They were both a big hit with Ethan, who showed his love with lots of smiles and cuddling.







Shortly after their arrival, Aunt Kelly flew in to join in the family fun. We had a great time touring the city, especially when we stopped by Musée Mécanique to take some photos in an old timey booth. Technically, this was Ethan's second photo booth experience, as Mommy and Daddy took some pictures together right before Ethan was born.






To commemorate his birthday, Grandma and Grandpa Ventura brought over a cake, complete with a zero candle! Ethan was sad that he didn't get to taste it, and is looking forward to next year when he will not only get to eat his cake, but will also get to smear frosting all over his face!


We have more pics of and stories about the fun family visit and will post them in the next few days. Be on the lookout for part two, coming soon to a computer near you!